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November 21, 2010

I am pretty sure all of you are itching to know the winner of the fabulous giveaway - breakfast for two at Butlers Chocolate Cafe!

But before I announce that, I want to thank you all for appreciating this site. I do put in a decent amount of effort and money to write the reviews and it is great to have positive comments and feedback pouring in. So keep bringing them on.

As for the winner, the lucky person this time is...

Sumaiya Minhaj

Congrats Sumaiya! I will be contacting you soon for your prize on your email address. So keep checking your inbox. And the rest of you, keep watching out for some more AMAZING giveaways soon! =)

November 15, 2010

Being a hot favorite café in Karachi right now, Butlers Chocolate Café has decided to sponsor a giveaway for all its fans right here on The Kanwalful Food Chronicles! So one of you lucky people will be visiting Butlers to be treated to an AMAZING breakfast for TWO!

As for the giveaway – entering it is simple. Just answer the question below and follow the rules to get a chance to win breakfast for two at Butlers Chocolate Café!

Question

Which country is Butlers Chocolate Café originally from?A. SwitzerlandB. USAC. Ireland

Rules:

1. Only fans and followers are eligible to participate in this giveaway. Sign up now by clicking on the "Follow" tab OR on the Facebook Fan page on the right.

2. Write your answer, along with your full-name and email address in the comment section below. Only correct answers will be carried forward for the lucky draw.

3. Winner will be announced on 21th November 2010 - Sunday at 10.00 pm. Entries will close at 9.00 pm on the same day. The winner will be contacted through email. If there is no response from the winner within 24 hours of contacting him/her the prize will be canceled and will be passed on to the first runner-up instead.

4. This contest is only valid for those residing in Karachi, Pakistan.

November 13, 2010

If you are looking for a place to sit back, breathe some fresh air and indulge in really, really good tasting food Cafe Koel is where you NEED to be.

Built within a compound, a small pebbled path bordered by trees and lights makes its way into the entrance of the cafe. And you are instantly met with fresh flowery scents riding on soft breezes when you step inside! The cafe has a seating arrangement both indoors and outdoors, to suit everyone's preference. Outside the place is decked up with huge trees that roof over the seating area and rugged wooden chairs and tables. Inside, it is white, soothing and Japanese in style - with long tables where different groups people might end up sharing spaces! I prefer sitting outdoors when I go in the evenings, especially in winters. Whereas indoors is always preferable in the hot afternoons in Karachi!

What I do love about the place is the clear serenity of it. It is very comforting to be able to just relax in this kind of green environment in a city that is usually gray. Moreover there is also an art gallery within this compound that is always a good way to pass the time when your food is being prepared!

Following are some of the ratings as per my experience:

Favorite items on the menu

Spinach and artichoke dip with Kulcha

This dish is the perfect starter to what I eat later on, on my trip to Koel. It is a layer of mozzarella cheese, cream cheese, spinach and artichoke. All baked to perfection with a thin film of golden on top - the kind of enticing golden that cheese turns to entice and overwhelm your taste-buds. It is served with hot, crispy Kulcha naans and is big enough to be shared as an appetizer by two!

Teriyaki Chicken with garlic rice

This is actually my favorite kind of grilled chicken available in Karachi. This platter consists of two large breast pieces of marinated and grilled chicken drizzled with slightly sweet Teriyaki sauce. It is served with a big stick of vegetables sauteed with soy sauce and a lump of garlic rice. This rice is special Korean rice that is mushier than the typical Basmati rice we Pakistanis are used to and is cooked with hints of garlic!

I love this so much that sometimes I literally just have Cafe Koel Teriyaki Chicken cravings! It is definitely a 9/10 AND a must try!

Baked Chocolate Pudding

This is the dessert that got Cafe Koel famous! It is small when it comes down to looks - a little dumpling of rich brown cake in appearance. But a bite of it gets out oozing a RIVER of hot, silky chocolate and you are soon to realize that it is no dimwitted cake or even small enough to be consumed by only one! Especially after the dip and grilled chicken! A bite of the pudding can send you to heaven and back just so that you can have yet another bite. The outside layer is very much like a cake but only thin enough to contain the overwhelming amount of melted chocolate inside. A 10/10. You have not lived if you have not tried this dessert!

Shikanjabeen

This is the most refreshing drink I have come across in a long, long time. A slushy lemon and mint mixture topped lightly with the kind of spices you would expect only on a road-side cafe. I make it a point to order this the instant I go there especially if I go in the afternoon. It instantly refrigerates your insides and makes you feel energized. It also goes REALLY well with the food mentioned above and is large enough to last through your meal!

Price

Fairly expensive. It would be nicer if Cafe Koel was slightly less expensive - it can cost you up to Rs. 1200 if you order the four items mentioned above. And that is just one person's three course meal you are talking about. But then the large portions and amazing quality pretty much over rides the money factor. Besides Cafe Koel prefers being an exclusive place.

November 10, 2010

Congrats Zaynah! You will be contacted by me within the next 24 hours so keep checking your mail. The rest of you - be happy. Life's good. And lots of more giveaways coming up. So STAY TUNED!

Note: The draw was conducted by means of an excel sheet and generating a random number on www.random.org. A few people were disqualified for not following the rules - for example forgetting to write their full name or email address.

November 4, 2010

It seems to me like you guys love the giveaway contests I host - which is why I have yet another giveaway! This time it is a meal for two people at one of the BEST cafes in town - Cafe Koel. I will also be writing a review on Cafe Koel tomorrow, so those of you who do not know about it can find out what it is like!In the meanwhile enter the contest by answering the question below and following the simple rules!

Question

What does the word "Koel" mean?

A. A kind of cuckoo bird found in Asia, Australia and the PacificB. A dance form accompanied by chant or song, developed in Hawaii.C. A name of an Afghan tribe located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Rules:

1. Only fans and followers are eligible to participate in this giveaway. Sign up now by clicking on the "Follow" tab OR on the Facebook Fan page on the right.

2. Write your answer, along with your full-name and email address in the comment section below. Only correct answers will be carried forward for the lucky draw.

3. Winner will be announced on 10nd November 2010 - Wednesday at 11.00 pm. The winner will be contacted through email. If there is no response from the winner within 24 hours of contacting him/her the prize will be canceled and will be passed on to the first runner-up instead.

4. This contest is only valid for those residing in Karachi, Pakistan.

November 2, 2010

Considering how the electricity is such a problem in Karachi, I had to cut back the giveaway time by one hour so instead of the winner being announced at 11.30 pm I decided to do it at 10.30 pm. So now, without further ado the winner of the free dinner for two at Mirchi is...

Hira Anis

Congrats Hira! I will be contacting you within the next 24 hours on your email address for your prize!

And the rest of you should not get disheartened. There are two more FABULOUS giveaways coming up at the end of this week and the next! So watch this space! Good luck!